A/N: That's all for the moment... Still behind, but! They will be completed soon, rest assured.

24. Sweet dreams

December, 2006

The air was icy and crisp, their breaths coming out in white puffs as the couple sat as closely together as possible on the porch swing, with a welcome third party at Drakken's other side. One of his feet pushed them back and forth slowly as they stared out at the silent night. Snow fell in large flakes, but sparsely enough that they could still see out a good ways. Moonlight reflected on a frozen pond in the park across from Drakken's childhood home, shimmering across the ice with the movements of the cold air.

In one part of the sky, stars were twinkling ever brighter due to the chill, and in another, a low cloud that Shego was learning was uniquely a snow cloud was blowing in, its mists swirling and changing shape at its soft edges as the flurries grew nearer.

Contrasting the natural beauty that surrounded them were the bright lights that decorated tiny trees that were spread all along the walk to the park, where one grand tree towered above the rest. The commercial decor, rather than taking away from the winter wonderland, only added to the warm feeling that Shego felt more and more keenly despite the freezing temperatures.

She sipped her hot chocolate—cocoa moo, her mind insisted to her annoyance—and then snuggled back against Drakken's shoulder. Earlier in the evening he and his mother had loudly sung Christmas carols and other seasonal tunes, she only joining in on one of the more popular songs to appease them, but she couldn't say that she minded their cheer.

The Irish cream liqueur she had spiked their cocoa with was clearly doing its work on all of them, Drakken's mother having fallen silent long ago and the blue man only humming softly now as they all enjoyed the winter's evening. Shego didn't know how long they all rocked and simply enjoyed the atmosphere before she heard the older woman yawn and then felt the shift of the swing as she stood.

Drakken leaned forward as if to rise as well, but his mother gestured he should stay.

"No no, you kids stay right here and enjoy your evening," the red-haired woman said with a smile. "I need some shut-eye before all the cooking and baking we'll be doing tomorrow."

Shego's jaw tightened a bit on the smile she was giving the woman, whose hands were clasped in excitement. The Lipsky family traditions weren't the sort she was used to, but then again, she didn't really have any of her own.

Shego waved once as the woman disappeared into the house with a smile, and then looked back to where Drakken was dunking a cookie into his hot chocolate. He happily gobbled the whole dessert and followed it with a swallow of the steaming liquid, then setting the cup down safely on the porch. This was due to Shego's insistence after a mishap the day prior that necessitated a lot of laundry being done in Mama Lipsky's old machine.

Shego took another swallow of her drink and then set it aside as well, snuggling against him a moment after. She allowed herself to feel delighted when his arm circled her shoulders and his other gloved hand found one of hers. And she couldn't help herself but to blush when he placed a kiss against her temple over her hair.

She grinned and forced away every insecurity and every wall of defense that tried to tell her she shouldn't be enjoying any of it. Instead she listened only to Drakken's soft humming of a carol as he slightly rocked them in the porch swing, and she watched the moonlight shimmer over the frozen lake until her eyes slipped closed.

For once, and hopefully only the first of many nights to come, she would let herself have sweet dreams.